Session 21 — Enter the Heart of Darkness …

Coming off the showdown with the doctor and the subjects of Project Titan, the team took a few days to recover from their injuries – physical and interpersonal – before dealing with the art dealer. Tatters does light matrix work to track down the gallery in question and switch in an appointment to meet him.

Walker presses the team’s case with the dwarf owner. Art dealer opens with a hostile attitude, purposefully insulting the team with his initial offer. After considerable back and forth, Walker is able to reach a token agreement where the painting is returned, the matter closed, and a small payment for the team.

Calypso opts to give the team considerable time off as their pace has been rough with jobs and the intertwining matters with the doctor. After a shorter than intended period, she gets a line on a fairly urgent job. University researching needing a job out in the woods to deal with some trouble. Havoc squad is, unfortunately, the only available team available, but she reasons they should be rested enough, pending the details, to take a little road trip.

Dialing the Johnson on her commlink, a squirrelly, unkempt human with glasses appears on video. As he makes a halfhearted attempt to straighten himself out, he breaks into a hurried talk, “Hi. Uh, hello. You must be the – what was the term – oh uhh – Mr – erm – Mrs – Ms? – Johnson then. I would like to hire a squad of shadowrunners… Fixer! I believe I’m the Johnson. Yes, right, or wait no, am I the face? Let me check some-”

Her avatar interjected with a playful smirk (while she actually rolled her eyes and took a slow breath), “Dear, let’s not get so hung up on formalities. As you know, I’m Calypso, why don’t you take me through the job.” Adding with a purr, “…Mr. Johnson.” Johnsons like this were easy to pry extra details from.

Hearing her voice and accent, the Johnson appears momentarily flustered. With a nod, “So you see, I’m researching…” For the next twenty minutes Calypso listens to a mix of jargon about researching California Condors, explanations about the job, and one sided debates about life in academia. She takes her time to let him go when appropriate and steer the conversation where she can.

She agrees to connect him with the team after some quick follow up research. Stanford has records of research grants that match up and there seems to have been a series of incidents in the area – although details are light.

“Likely a bunch of kids vandalizing whatever they can, pretending to care about mother earth,” she reasons as crafts her message out to the team and to Duchess, who is on the way back to the bay area. She smirks as she imagines Duchess’ reaction to Eternal.

Hope you have all rested up my dears. I have a nice scenic job for you, thought you could use a bit of a working vacation and would enjoy seeing the sights of Big Sur. The Johnson is in the field and would like for to discuss the job over a comm call.

The usual, agreeing team responses trickle in with the exception of Tatters who replies, “Doesn’t look like it’ll need matrix support? If so, going to run down some stuff on my own.” Calypso responds back confirming that there is likely no matrix work.

The team holds a call with the Johnson, managing to talk up their pay and arranging to get the university owned Jeep Trailblazers from outside the club they originally met Duchess at in Oakland. Soon after gathering they set out, with most of the team in the front vehicle driven by Duchess. Sledge and Eternal in the rear vehicle.

They met with one issue on their road trip, a brief encounter with a go-gang on the 101 called the Asphalt Dogs. The go-gang typically looks for vehicles to hassle for a small toll and light robbery, but seeing Duchess driving the first jeep, they get the idea that this will be some easy pickings and rip out full force.

Unfortunately for the gang, the vehicles actually contain shadowrunners who make quick work in disrupting the attack between Eternal’s use of a flashpack, a fireball from Walker on the second wave of gangers, and a well placed ice sheet from Duchess causing all but the gang leader to wipe out on the highway. Acorn chewed some gum and focused on bothering Walker. Rott, the go-gang leader, is enraged by his gang’s performance but sees no option but to race away from the runners.

The rest of the trip passes without note and the team enters the area of the job. Duchess exchanges a bit of conversation with a guard in a group fortifying an unattacked, active farm in the area who advises them that everything is closed here due to some “eco-nuts” causing problems, but he lacks much more detail on anything, so they continue down the road.

After some debate, the team agrees to check one of the more recently attacked sites, choosing a public campground. Although AR messages inform the team that they campground is closed, the gate is unlocked and the team is treated to a scene of some chaos. Tents and such are strewn about and a small facilities building for restrooms and showers is partially demolished and heavily vandalized. Ace makes his way through the remains of the building but stops, seeing the next room partially flooded.

Sledge comes into inspect using his professional experience and is attacked by some oversized flatworms (later identified by Ace’s contact as Bipalium Viperidae, commonly called Flatworm Viper due to its single fang it uses to attack). Posing little threat to the orc, Ace and Sledge quickly dispose of them. Checking through the rest of the site, the team finds a breach in the security fence around the campground to the northwest, seemingly caused by some explosives on the fence. The camp otherwise looks to have been hit fast, with signs that some had potentially fled although there are spots that make it seem some were not so lucky.

With dusk coming, the team decides to sleep in/near their jeeps a bit down the road from the campground thanks to a particularly nasty feel to the mana in the campground itself.

4 thoughts on “Session 21 — Enter the Heart of Darkness …”

This is a nice little cakewalk… tromp around the woods for a couple days. Got us out the city, fresh(er) air, less bullets. I was actually surprised that I was able to control myself during the car chase, but after recent events, the last thing we needed was me going loud and HTR chasing us all the way to the city limits.

From what I gather, we’re working for some scientist or something. Dude is not our usual clientele, but as long as the money’s good, then I honestly don’t care if we’re working for a teenaged girl. Speaking of, that prissy little spirit-caller from a couple weeks ago is back again. She’s going to love roughing it out here with us.

God, it had to be the forest. Out of all the places they could have gone it had to be the forest. Anytime he goes into a forest it always end the same he ends up getting chased up a tree by a wild animal and has to wait til it stop being interesting in eating him. Forest might have interesting magical stuff to research but that for work of lesser people and a lot more expendable people.

Lady Luck is still pissed at me, I need to keep my eyes open for any hungry (which is all of them) animals. I will not get treed this time!

Been a while since I’ve actually used this thing. With all that’s going on, I haven’t thought much of keeping a journal. But, I guess there is a time to start something. The more time goes on, the more I think I might as well document some of my experiences.

Our most recent trek has lead us back to the forest, home of Wolf. And, of course, it seems to have lead us back to our old magician girl, Duchess. I thought it was nice to see her again. Once again, she seemed all business, just like when we first met. I should remember to thank her for the pup again. He has been a joy to have around.

The only thing I dislike is having two kids to look after now. Acorn is going to drive me nuts, ironic enough. Few can push my buttons, but the cat eared teen seems determined to do that. At least she knows how to fight, and she is smart enough to leave when things get rough.

Either way, we ended up in a run in with bikers on the way to the location, but they were rather disheartened after a bit of fire directed their way. The rest of the travel was uneventful, and we made it to the campgrounds without problem. The day had been set for gathering information, and we made a bit of headway. Mostly learning that the campgrounds seemed to have a negative aura about them.

My magic feels hampered, and I’m sure the others can feel it too. Even Wolf moves a little slower through the woods here.

Yet, nothing concrete or helpful has been found yet. So, we have decided to refuge in the jeeps for tonight. Duchess has summoned us a spirit for a guard, and I’m taking glances over at the sleeping girls when I can.

This entry should be of sufficient length for the moment. I think it is time for sleep.

Spending the first half of the week basically skating around town at night. felt good to just do it for the fun… grinding rails free styling the entire place. But we had a job eventually. Something about stopping some eco nuts in the forest I think. apperently place has mutant animals. I didn’t really care I just wanted to have a drunken feild trip.. so thats what I set out to do. music loud. booze in hand. We ran into some trouble but the others had it. and I was too chill to even care. made fun of the stick in the mud in the car with me. Wished to get to party more with the first teen to be around my age. It was cool knowing someone who knew the rave spot. tots gonna hafta get totally wasted with her at some stage.. but I think I didn’t play it very cool. wonder if she thinks i’m trying to hard. whatever.. I’ll just see how things turn out later.